As we saw in the recent ’83 280ZX CC, the sporty Z-cars lost their way a bit from the late ’70s to the early ’80s, donning big, ugly bumpers, velour interiors and even adding a long-wheelbase 2+2 model. But by 1984, Nissan finally decided to dispose of some of the 280’s blubber and tacked-on luxuries in an effort to recapture some of the car’s roots: the original 1970 “24-ounce.” Although the new ’84 300ZX retained a nice ride and power assists, it was somewhat closer to that original, sporty model.

Like the 280ZX, it offered plush interiors, lots of sound insulation and a comfortable ride–but at the same time was quicker and had much-improved handling. The 300ZX debuted in late ’83, as an ’84 model, and started the “Z31” generation with a bang, with the black-and-silver, limited-edition 50th Anniversary 300ZX Turbo, which was built to commemorate Nissan’s 50th year in business. The 1984 model was one of those transitional “Datsun 300ZX by Nissan” variants, but the following year it was badged solely as a Nissan.

300ZXs came with a 2,960 cc SOHC V6 in both normally-aspirated 160-hp VG30E and 200-horse turbocharged VG30ET versions, with your choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Zero-to-sixty for an ’85 Turbo was 7.3 seconds, while the portlier ’87 2+2 was a bit slower, at 8.7 seconds.

Despite their very different appearance from the earlier 280ZX, the 300 was based off of the 280–even retaining its 91.3″ wheelbase. Also carried over was a voice-alert system (perhaps better known as “bitching Betty.”) shared with the top-of-the-line Maxima sedan and wagon.

The 300ZX was the first Z to ditch the classic “sugar scoop” headlights, which were replaced with oh-so-’80s pop-up headlights. The 1986 Zs were slightly updated with most of the cosmetic items of the 50th Anniversary Z. A more drastic restyle occurred for 1987, as you can see from our featured car.

Although more of a driver’s car than the 260 and 280Zs, the 300 was pretty luxurious inside, harkening to the Brougham Zs of just a few years earlier. Multi-adjustable power seats, power windows, leather and cruise control were just a few of the available options. That “gathered leather” on the door panel would not have looked out of place in a Chrysler LeBaron. At least this one has the five-speed manual.

While the 1984-86 Zs are attractive in their own right, I prefer the 1987-89 restyle. The softer curves make the Z a little less severe-looking. At the same time, I like the five-spoke wheels of the earlier version better than the alloys on this one. They are way too Maxima-like for a sports car like this one.

I cannot look at one of these cars without thinking of the hilarious 1987 film Blind Date, although the one driven by Bruce Willis was a pre-facelift model–probably an ’86, going by the color-keyed mirrors and bumpers.

I tried to find the scene in which following a crash into a pet store, a stowaway monkey covers Laroquette’s eyes, causing the Chrysler to then crash into a paint store; it’s perhaps the funniest scene in the movie. Amazingly, it is not posted online, but this screen shot from imcdb.org should give you an idea of the travails this poor M-body was subjected to.

Actually, the Fifth Avenue had it pretty easy compared with Walter’s (Willis’s) Z. The car did not have it easy in this movie, although probably nothing a little bodywork and a new pair of doors and T-top hatches wouldn’t fix.

All in all, the 300ZX was a rousing success, with almost 330,000 built between late 1983 and 1989, its last year on the market. A new, much more purposeful 300ZX would appear in 1990; it would bring the Z saga into the 1990s as a genuine sports car, with nary a Brougham cue or velour bucket seat to be found. It was, in my opinion, the most attractive Z since the original 1970 version, but that’s a story for another time.

I found this 300 just after completing the writeup on the 280ZX. Did I have Zs on the brain that caused me to notice it, or was it the CC Effect? Either way, I was happy to check this car out. Now all I have to do is find a 1990-96 300ZX!

29 Comments

In the late mid-90s, the company I worked for held a team-building exercise at Road Atlanta and Lanier Speedway. We got a half-day driving Legends Cars on the quarter-mile track at Lanier, then switched over to do slaloms, auto cross and hot laps on the main track at Road Atlanta, where our track cars were 300ZXs. They had most of the interior stripped out and roll cages added, but were stock under the hood. They paced us with an Altima (IIRC), because it was, get this, *faster* than the 300s.

Great write up, and brought back some fun memories… Although, I have to say, Tom, it seems in every piece you write – no matter the subject car – that truly,

These indeed were popular. I remember them being an aspirational car for many in the great coupe era, but – despite their performance credentials – they appealed to a slightly older, less overtly macho demographic than did Mustangs and Camaros. But, they quickly gained a reputation for cheesiness and were a symbol of near middle-age baby boomers rebounding from divorce and going out on the prowl. I remember a joke at the time that went something like “Buy a Z and get a free hairpiece.”

You guys are missing that it was still a pretty fun car, and it was fairly reliable to boot. People often speak with disappointment that the car strayed from its roots, but fact is, it was keeping in line with its competition – think budget Corvette, which also became a dog performance-wise.

And the Z was a decent compromise for comfort and handling. Everybody knew that if you wanted more sport, you went with the RX-7 or Supra. But if you wanted a fun cruiser and weren’t completely concerned with cornering limits or skidpads, the Z was a fine alternative.

That’s just it, while the car had its merits & was engineered better than many of its more “respectable” competitors, enough of a certain type of person drove them that it engendered a stereotype. Of course stereotypes are the fallacy of Hasty Generalization.

My sister’s first car was one of these, and it was a cherry silver non-turbo version that my Dad found. Manual trans and everything! It was a stunning looking car, and was mildly fun – but definitely not fast. I’m guessing if it would have been a turbo it would have been a much different story.

I had an 85 300ZX Turbo 5-speed and it was fast – with the boost it felt even quicker than it was. And the Turbo had everything on it, including headlight washers, digital dash, voice alert system, and the inflatable power lumbar support (something my G37 sedan does not have). The interior of these cars was fairly luxurious with multiple colors, good leather, and soft touch dash.

My cousin had the 84 non-turbo anniversary edition with both Nissan and Datsun badges. Not only did it have the anniversary emblems but she ordered it with automatic and without the T-tops, one of the few I’ve ever seen with a solid roof. Later on people were constantly trying to buy it from her. While both engines were smooth and torquey, the Turbo was the one for speed. Mileage on mine was surprisingly good, with 26+ on the highway easily obtainable.

I agree with SS that these Zs were a nice compromise of smoothness and handling – no wonder they sold well. The older Z’s have pretty much disappeared from SoCal though you still see a few here and there. I think most of them were driven into the ground as they were well built and lasted a long time.

Nice write up, Tom. As I’ve mentioned before, I had an 84 5-speed non-turbo GL-L…digital dashboard and all. I still miss that car; every once in a while, I’ll have that dream that I apparently still own the car, and life is great (then, invariably, I wake up).

It definitely wasnt an all-out performance car, but it was a big step up from my 79 Grand Prix 301; I wasn’t looking for pure performance anyway. I appreciated the smooth, comfortable ride and nimble handling. The torquey VG30 V6 was a very good engine IMO.

I always related to that [really bad] movie because I had my t-tops stolen twice in college.

These sort of fell into the memory hole for me. I loved the early models up to the last of the regular 280s, hated the broughamy excesses of the ZX cars of the late 70s-early 80s, and also remember the hot new one from around 1990. These somehow slipped under my radar.

I don’t get why these are so overlooked by tuners (but I appreciate it)…all the parts of the recipe are there! RWD, indestructible-yet-upgradeable V6, good looks, Z heritage… Were they just too heavy for the drift scene, or what?

Did these have the same “exhaust header studs break off inside the engine block” problem that the Pathfinders had with the same engine?

In my late twenties I decided I was tired of “regular” cars and traded in a 1994 Accord EX for a mint condition 1988 300ZX 2-seater with only 26,000 miles on it. It was a 5-speed, blue with blue cloth interior, t-tops, non-turbo….I drove it for one full summer and realized real quickly that it was not a car for New England winters. After doing a complete 360 on a cold slippery November night I was scared out of my wits and realized I needed another car. Two days after this incident (coincidentally) I get a letter from my insurance company telling me that my rate was incorrectly quoted and my premium will be almost doubling. Well, that weekend I was trading it in. I loved that car, too! It was more like a luxury cruiser than sports car, but it turned heads wherever I went and was great for the one summer I owned it. I rarely saw another one in the color I had – it was a kind of purplish blue – but when it was clean it looked amazing. I decided because of the low mileage and condition that I would try to sell it outright and I advertised it in the local newspaper (Craigslist was not around at this time LOL) I got call after call, even with me advertising it for more than I had paid for it the previous spring. A couple in their mid-thirties was the second one to look at it, the first being a young 18 year old trying to get the money up for it. He said he would be back but I knew better. Well, the couple didn’t haggle at all – they bought it and I never EVER saw it again. Memories? Lots…..even for the small time I owned it. It was a great car that I would have kept had I lived in Florida or California….not in Rhode Island!!

I really like the facelift Z31, it’s on my list of cars to get for my collection. They’re pretty rare here, most of the Z31’s we see are pre-facelift, and I’m not even sure if the facelift was offered as a NZ new car – so they’ll all be imports.

It’s worth noting that the Japan spec cars came with a plethora of engine options, including the very revvy VG20ET, and the first iteration of the VG30DE that would later power the Z32 300ZX. There was even a version that packed the RB20DET straight six, the last Z to use a straight six…..

I loved these cars. I grew up in this era as kind of a F-body / Pony car fanboy and these Z’s seemed to fit right into that nitch while being an import (and therefor assumed to be more reliable than the domestics). Also my Uncle had one, which is probably another reason why I like them. I remember that digital dash very well.

My manager had bought a new one of these when I had started my job in my current company….two toned blue and grey. I admired it but it wasn’t my kind of car (still isn’t).

The thing I really remember about this generation car was the TV ad a few years before this (I thought maybe 1985) where a guy goes for a spirited drive, and at the end stops, they have a closeup on him and he whistles and says “awesome”….(I think they have a copy of this ad on YouTube). I tend to use other expressions like “neat” and “cool” but don’t really use “awesome” (especially since to me many of the things people use to describe it are less than awesome, and I guess my generation already had other positive confirmation words ingrained in them by the time)….but I’ve often wondered if the really common use of that expression (in place of “neat” or “cool”) may have started around the time that ad came out. For me, you’d have to have a car driving on top of water (not hydroplaning, but moving with traction) to meet the test of awesome…a very high hurdle indeed.

I never drove a 300ZX, but I’ve wondered whether it really was “awesome” or just another marketing superlative. One of the young guys who started in our company in 1989 bought one of the “new” generation 300ZX when it first came out and it really seemed pretty nifty at the time…I guess the 1988 300ZX was last year production for this generation. Seems like at that time everyone was trying to come out with their “super” cars, maybe to compete with Corvette or something, but I guess high insurance rates have pretty much minimized these…though Nissan still makes successor to this, theres no more 200SX, Toyota Supra nor Celica…it seems to me, the late 80’s and early 90’s were their heyday.

I own a 1989 Nissan 300ZX. I bought it in Oct of 2010 and fell in love with it’s looks and handling. Then there were those cool T- tops I dubbed Z- tops to keep up the Z theme. The VG30E motor was spunky, but I thought needed more oomph! I was on I-5 in Washington state racing a Porsche Turbo and blew my motor at 130 mph.
Had it towed to shop where they put in a newer VG30DETT from a 1993 model. That was great until I went against a Saleem SR-51 Mustang. He just had more HP than me. So back to shop and they put in an built. SR20DETT that screams power! At 520 HP with 485ft lbs of torque, and a curbweight of 2,870 lbs with me and a half tank of gas my Z is unbeatable in a street or strip drag.
I’ve further customized my Ultra Fairlady Z with remote controlled Angel Eyes that color cycle and with 55 watt HID foglights with color cycling HALO LED rings have led IJDMtoy to contact me and feature my Z on their website. I’m very proud of my Z. All new polyurethane bushings at suspension points and torsion bars front and rear make it handle like it’s on rails! Just search on YouTube for My Ultra Fairlady Z with Angel Eyes and you can hear the nasty idle it makes! This is definitely not your average Z car.